TOW #20 The American River Ganges (Thomas Nast)

     The late 19th century featured tremendous social, economic, and educational change. Religious and ethnic groups struggled, presidents of the Gilded Age sat idly in the Oval Office ignorant to government corruption, and the lithograph gave rise to the mass production of newspapers. Thomas Nast, one of the most influential political cartoonists in American history (responsible for the modern depiction of Santa Claus and the Republican/Democratic party symbols), frequently offered his social commentary in the form of artfully created political cartoons, such as in The American River Ganges. Nast was a firm supporter of the Republican party and anti-Catholicism. Therefore, when parochial schools began to gain prevalence and local governments were deciding whether to incorporate religious morality in public schools, Nast attempted to dissuade voters (most likely "the common man": middle class wage earners) from allowing the invasion of Catholic principles.
     Nast makes his negative opinion clear with his striking imagery and metaphors. The cartoon takes place on the "American River Ganges," an allusion to the massive river in India that harbors large numbers of crocodiles and gharials. The cartoon clearly depicts a river, and the image is completed with scaled creatures emerging from the depths. At first glance they appear to be crocodiles, but with help from the caption it is revealed that the monsters are, in fact, Catholic priests. The beasts are descending on children moored on the beach, presumably representative of the entire nation's youth. Immediately, this elicits appeals to pathos; first one of compassion, as no adult wants a child to come to harm, and then of anger or fear in response to the religious predators.
     Nast also incorporates the Capitol and a depiction of Boss Tweed (the man with the beard and hat leaning over the edge of the cliff) to engender an appeal to logos. Many voters in America owed allegiances to corrupt politicians like Tweed and blindly voted for him in hopes of earning his positive influence. Because Nast's audience supports the actions of Washington and/or politicians like Tweed, who in turn back the destruction of the apparent American education system, Nast's audience assumes indirect responsibility. These emotions may illicit change in behavior at the polls, fulfilling Nast's purpose.
     The cartoon is largely hyperbole and propaganda. However, because it presents an obvious correlation between voters and Nast's Catholic invasion as well as forcing a powerful emotional response, I think the cartoon does accomplish its purpose.

TOW #19 The Intelligent Plant (Michael Pollan)

     

Mimosa pudica, or the Sensitive Plant, has been shown to "learn" from its environment and change its behavior accordingly.

     Mimosa pudica, the plant famous for its leaves that curl rapidly when disturbed (see here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o18UUSJgQA), shakes violently and clenches its leaves. However, after 15 repeated shakes, the plants leaves begin to open. It has sustained no damage from the rhythmic jerking, and and begins to open its leaves again. In its own, botanical way, the plant has learned from its environment. The jerking stops, and resumes an hour later. The plant's leaves stay open. The jerking ends once more, and does not begin again until an entire month has passed. But Mimosa pudica does not react.

     This kind of "conditioning" in plants constitutes one of the most fascinating and controversial disciplines in life science: Plant Neurobiology. Often branded as anthropomorphising, Plant Neurobiology seeks to explain the intricate ways plants actively interact with their environment. Michael Pollan, in his article The Intelligent Plant, masterfully combined opinions and research on both side of the heated debate, while including enough anecdotal research and testimonies (such as the study above, by Monica Gagliano) compiled after an apparently long time.

     He begins at the extreme beginning of the plant neurobiology, a book titled The Secret Life of Plants. Contained within The New Yorker, a magazine with a wide variety of articles per issue, Pollan begins with these radical ideas to pique a peruser's interest. In the mentioned book, Cleve Backster describes plants that are able to pick out people who have killed other plants, respond to a distressed human, and exhibit sympathy. By beginning with this radical stance and fascinating examples, even though Pollan shows how they were all discredited, he effectively entertains his audience and draws them in.

    Pollan's goal in the article is not to provide credibility to plant neurobiology, it is simply to show the different sizes and simplify the mounting research in this amazing and applicable field. He himself describes lectures on the subject "highly technical" and a "kind of incremental science," something not likely to be popularized. To add intrigue, he employs imagery and anecdotes, such as the one I began by reciting, to interest his audience with radical research that can elicit contention or wonder.

   Overall, the article was very impressive. Pollan, though not an expert on the subject, clearly did a significant amount of research and applied his sources very well. He showed little bias, though he did include more stories of plants acting like animals than the professors who scoffed at the notion; I assume this is because they are simply more interesting.

TOW #18 Three Theories That Might Blow Up The Big Bang (Adam Frank)

Adam Frank presents 3 theories that challenge the popular Big Bang Theory.

Today's TOW comes from Adam Frank, a frequent writer on the subjects of space and time for Discover Magazine, and author of several books on the same subjects. Though not a researcher himself, Frank interviews leading scientists in these fields and frequently utilizes information directly quoted from them. This particular article was written in March 2008, the same year as the completion of the CERN Supercollider, a multi-billion dollar facility constructed to run experiments that simulate the beginning of the Universe as we know it, namely: the Big Bang. This model hypothesizes the Universe beginning more than 13 billion years ago as an inconceivably dense mass that rapidly expanded and condensed locally into the galaxies, stars, and planets we see today. This explains observed mysteries like cosmic background radiation and the expansion of the universe. Adam Frank showcases three theories that counter the Big Bang and propose very different ways our universe began (or didn't begin at all). His purpose is to give a simple explanation of each, effectively showing that there are several theories that exist beyond what we are taught in school. His audience are readers of the science-oriented Discover Magazine, so are expected to have knowledge of general physics. The organization is logical, with an introduction, three sub-headed theory explanations, and a conclusion. Each theory begins with a quick biography of its creator, establishing the credibility of the idea in question. A description of each idea follows, and then Smith explores their implications: the differences from the Big Bang Theory, and what it may mean to us. For example, the third presented theory is that of an infinite series of "Nows," that every possible arrangement of atoms exists simultaneously, an idea that claims time does not exist. This is, clearly, very difficult to imagine. So Frank uses the creator's own words, citing direct quotes and many analogies to help the reader better visualize what the theory means. For example, Frank quotes, "'Every integer exists simul­taneously. But some of the integers are linked in structure, like the set of all primes or the numbers you get from the Fibonacci series.'” He then adds his own elaboration on the idea, "Yet the number 3 does not occur in the past of the number 5 any more than the Big Bang exists in the past of the year 2008." By giving brief, tangible explanations, Frank saves us from the rigorous scientific articles of the scientists he cites. Overall, the article maintained my attention and delivered effective, credible explanations. The only thing I didn't like was his abrupt and ineffective conclusion,

IRB #3 The Prince (Niccolò Machiavelli)

For this marking period, I am going to read the book Joseph Stalin reportedly kept in the drawer of his bedside table: The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli. Machiavelli was a historian, political scientist, philosopher, comedian, and author in 16th century Italy. He was Secretary to the Second Chancery of the Republic of Florence from 1498 to 1512, when the Medici family was temporarily out of power. When the Medici reclaimed Florence, they exiled Machiavelli, who wrote The Prince and dedicated it to Lorenzo de'Medici. Whether the book was intended as satire or as a serious guide to rule is still unknown. Regardless, it is still his most famous work, mostly because it seemed to encourage actions that were generally frowned upon. For example, Machiavelli thinks that moral virtues are always detrimental to a state, and his proposed "Prince" is ruthless, understanding that the "ends always justify the means." The book earns Machiavelli credit as the founder of modern political science and political ethics. It is unique among political works of the time, as it was written in Italian vernacular. This makes my English translation very easy to understand. I am really fascinated by distopias (I love books like 1984 and Brave New World), and Machiavelli justifies what many would consider a tyrannical Prince. I hope to see how complex philosophical and political ideas can be expressed in common language. I want to use the book as a model for simplifying my own writing, as I often have trouble converting abstract ideas into understandable writing.

TOW #17 Who Will Win Super Bowl XLVIII? (Chris Burke & Doug Farrar)

Awww yeaaaa

There is no better time than now to write about the Superbowl. So this week, I have selected NFL.com's comparison of the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks. I read another article from a Denver newspaper, but I think that as the universal representation of every team, this article would be the least biased. The authors are Chris Burke and Doug Farrar, two writers that have teamed up in the past for game-day analyses and reviews of team performances in the NFL. The article is for an audience anticipating the game of all games, looking for facts over personal beliefs. It is structured with two major sections, one explaining why the Seahawks will win, and another explaining why the Broncos may come home with the trophy. It is divided into five subsections for each team, explaining weaknesses in the opponent or strengths in the chosen team. These include an analysis of the Broncos run-stopping defense and how it can be overpowered, previous pressure-performance by the Seahawks, and the variety of the Broncos' offensive weapons. To avoid the bias of the authors, the article relies primarily on outside sources, citing statistics and expert opinions. For example, "the Broncos have limited five of their past six opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing" and "wide receiver Eric Decker said, 'He trusts the guys around him and that’s all you can ask for in a quarterback that will lead you Sunday on the field'" are used as evidence supporting the Broncos. These add to the credibility of the authors, because they are clearly making use of the vast resources of NFL.com, press conferences, and rosters to provide the aspects of play contributing to the game day performances. Additionally, the structure of the article is an appeal to logos, separating the two teams and dividing each winning outcome into five key components with a detailed explanation underneath. If someone wants to find information to support their team or a fact regarding a specific matchup, information is easily located under the headings. The article also utilizes theoretical situations to illustrate the author's point. For example, when describing the Bronco's offensive assault, Burke and Farrar write "Let’s say Sherman finds himself on Demaryius Thomas and the line generates a little pressure on Manning," and goes on to describe the variety of options the Broncos still have for success." Overall, I found the article suitably unbiased and informative, even though the Broncos are totally going to crush the Seahawks.

TOW #16 The Universe in a Single Atom (Dalai Llama)

The unification of religion and science. Well played, Your Holiness.

In The Universe in a Single Atom, His Holiness the Dalai Llama attempts to draw parallels between scientific and religious inquiry, a matter often regarded as taboo. As the spiritual and political leader of Tibet since the age of sixteen, the Dalai Llama has significant experience with spirituality. As a world leader fascinated by technology his nation lacks, His Holiness has met with leading scientists throughout the twentieth century in order to comprehend the nature of modern scientific discovery. His purpose in this novel is not to argue which approach is correct, instead the Dalai Llama writes to convey the merits of science and spirituality. In recent years, quantum and particle physics has made huge leaps in understanding the machinations of the Universe, while atheist populations are rapidly growing. He writes for an audience that has trouble with this split in the modern world, with a potential focus on those with a basic knowledge of Buddhism and an interest in physics, as these are the Dalai Llama's passions. To break up the tedium of a largely philosophical book, the Dalai Llama inserts many anecdotes and historical stories to create a storyline for the reader to effectively follow through the book. These follow a particular structure that subtly weaves in the philosophy. For example, when describing the Big Bang and creationism, the Dalai Llama explained a presentation at a Mind and Life conference in Dharamsala, where a noted astrophysicist presented a simulation of the development of the Universe after the Big Bang, according to modern quantum mechanics. The Dalai Llama concedes that "It was a fascinating sight, a real spectacle" (74). This conference then transitions into the Dalai Llama's own interpretation of the scientific Big Bang, and finally transitions into the Buddhist ideas regarding creation. Instead of personal anecdotes, he recounts the myth of creation and then presents the 14 "unanswered questions," such as "Are the self and the universe eternal?" Finally, he proposes a compromise of sorts, stating that "In the Buddhist world, there is an acknowledgement of the practical impossibility of gaining total knowledge of the origin of the universe," effectively meshing two theories that approach the unapproachable. Throughout the novel this same organization is approached with things like evolution (even though the Dalai Llama does present a slight modification of evolution, looking for "hidden complexities" that hint to intelligent design). Although I have not gotten through all of this book, it has really impressed me so far. I was really skeptical about how two seemingly different fundamental understandings can link is really cool. The Dalai Llama does a great job explaining jargon and history, a great example of argument that attempts to reach a mutually beneficial conclusion instead of disprove and disparage.

TOW #15 For That Zeus Bug in Your Life (Natalie Angier)

Zeus bug female giving her mate a lovely piggyback ride.

"For That Zeus Bug in Your Life" was published in the New York Times by Natalie Angier, a science journalist who has worked for Discover Magazine and TIME Magazine as a science writer. She has even won a Pulitzer Prize for her journalism. In this article she presents the idea of gifts exchanged between animals, appropriate for the winter holiday season where it is common practice to give gifts, as for Christmas or Hanukkah. Here she presents the idea tat "the drive to exchange presents is ancient, transcultural and by no means limited to Homo sapiens." The exchange of goods is most commonly seen for nuptial purposes, says Angier, but they may serve a wide variety of purposes and come in all shapes in sizes. Her purpose is to convince us that gifts are universal throughout the animal kingdom, and, I think, to show that some of our sophisticated practices are not always so human. The article is for those interested in science, but they do not need any experience in biology to understand her writing. Several pictures are included with the article to help visualize the gifts and animals that exchange them. The article begins with two examples of animal gifts: the female Zeus bug's waxy secretions meant to nourish her mate and the bonobo's food-sharing practices. Angier employs the second person, to engender a connection between her audience and these animals. She writes "For the bonobo you've just met: half your food, at least. Just shovel it over. Sharing is fun!" The "sharing is fun" comment is reminiscent of our kindergarten lessons in behavior, and Angier clearly connects it to wild animals. Angier continues with her examples for the rest of the article, and chooses organisms from throughout the spectrum of life. Beetles, snails, birds, primates, and spiders are all proven to display gift-giving behavior. When presenting her examples, Angier follows a particular pattern. She will present the behavior with narrative to garner interest, and then provide an explanation as to why this behavior is present and what benefits/costs it may have. She then transitions into present research on the subject, utilizing quotes from experts and researchers in this field. Overall, her varied examples and credibility from research certainly prove that animal gift-giving are present in many different animals, and that the procedure is not unique to humans around Christmas.